Clinical picture of the finding | Possible cause |
---|---|
Light coloured | |
| Pseudomembranous candidiasis, toothpaste-induced peeling of the mucosal surface layer |
| Irritative hyperkeratosis, lichenoid reaction, drug reaction, lichen planus, hyperplastic candidosis, leukoplakia, white sponge naevus*, cheek/lip chewing (morsicatio), snuff-induced changes, nicotine stomatitis, solar cheilitis, hairy tongue, oral submucous fibrosis, Fordyce's granules, ectopic lymphatic tissue, gingival cyst, gingival abscess, lipoma * The surface may exfoliate. |
Erythematous | Atrophic candidiasis, lichen planus, drug reaction, contact allergy, pemphigoid, deficiency of iron, folate or vitamin B12, haemangioma/vascular malformation, pyogenic granuloma, median rhomboid glossitis, geographic tongue, petechiae and bruising (trauma, blood disorder), erythroplakia, granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener granulomatosis), Kaposi sarcoma |
Ulcerous | |
| Trauma, aphtha, drug reaction, erythema multiforme, lichen planus, lupus erythematosus, Behçet's disease, reactive arthritis (formerly Reiter's syndrome), gonorrhoea, cyclic neutropenia |
| Trauma, syphilis, tuberculosis, actinomycosis, lupus erythematosus, drug reaction, contact allergy, granulomatosis with polyangiitis, epidermoid carcinoma, maxillary sinus carcinoma |
Blistery | |
| Herpes simplex infection, Herpes varicella-zoster infection, enterovirus, herpangina, dermatitis herpetiformis |
| Pemphigoid, pemphigus, dermatitis herpetiformis, epidermolysis bullosa, drug reaction, contact allergy |
Verrucous | Palatal papillomatosis, squamous papilloma, condyloma acuminatum, oral verruca vulgaris, focal epithelial hyperplasia, verrucous leukoplakia, verrucous carcinoma, verruciform xanthoma |
Hyperpigmentation | |
| Amalgam tattoo, melanotic macule, naevus, melanoma, childhood neuroectodermal tumour |
| Physiological pigmentation; pigmentation related to tobacco, inflammation, drug or exposure to heavy metals; Addison's disease, Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, Laugier-Hunziker syndrome |
Submucosal swelling | |
| Pyogenic granuloma, peripheral giant cell granuloma, peripheral fibroma, gingival abscess, exostosis, gingival cyst, eruption cyst, congenital epulis of a newborn, generalized gingival hyperplasia |
| Ranula, dermoid cyst, lymphoepithelial cyst, salivary gland tumour, mesenchymal tumour |
| Traumatic fibroma, mucocoele, salivary gland tumour, mesenchymal tumour |
| Traumatic fibroma, pyogenic granuloma, granular cell tumour, neurofibroma, traumatic neuroma, salivary gland tumour, haemangioma, lymphangioma |
| Bening bony nodule, dental abscess, salivary gland tumour, lymphoma, mesenchymal tumour, tumour of upper jaw or maxillary sinus, mucocoele |
Adapted from: Regezi J, Sciubba J, Jordan R. Oral pathology - Clinical pathologic correlations. 7. edition. Saunders Elsevier 2016. | |
Increased risk of oral cancer
Leucoplakia Interventions for Treating Oral Leukoplakia
Erythroplakia
Oral lichen planus
Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE)
Syndromes that increase the risk of oral cancer
Pigment changes of the oral mucosa
References |
Primary/Secondary Keywords